Yesterday, computer science was considered pseudoscience in the Soviet Union. Today, some governments are complaining about attacks by Russian hackers.
And although in Russia so far there are few high-tech devices and devices, smart programmers are enough for us.
Today we will talk about computer languages, their classification, essence, capabilities and prospects for future use.
We begin to consider the topic with theory. First of all, we’ll deal with the concept.
What are computer languages?
This is a system of signs, symbols, which is designed to "communicate" a person with a computer. After all, we can’t just take it, go to the computer and start explaining something to it. To do this, there are special code words and vocabulary that make up computer languages. And they already reach the computer in a form understandable to him.
Today, there are more than 8 thousand different languages for communication between a person and a computer. Of course, you cannot know all of them. Someone creates a language for themselves, and someone does it on a commercial basis.
But a good programmer must know at least a few basic ones perfectly.
What programming languages are the most popular?
The world of computer technology is constantly improving: new developments appear, past ones are brought to mind. Along with this, computer programming languages appear or are being ordered. The most popular ones that are used globally include the following:
C / C ++;
Java
PHP
Python
Visual Basic
Of course, in fact, there are even more languages, but we have chosen the most basic ones, in which more than 90% of all computer applications are written. Next, we consider in more detail each of them.
Procedural C / C ++
The languages C and C ++ can be called two brothers. There are allegations that these are two completely different programming languages, which is incorrect. C ++ is some improvement on the previous language, making it easier to write programs and preserving the previous syntax.
Since developed since the seventies of the last century, in the eighties began to create C ++. To date, the latter can be called one of the most popular. It is so multifunctional that with its help you can create an operating system, drivers for devices, games and much more.
Speaking about the advantages and disadvantages of this language, it is impossible to draw unambiguous conclusions. There are his supporters, and there are merciless critics. The basis for the debate is that in this programming language there is nothing of its own.
Its creators, so to speak, combined the functions and capabilities of several programming languages into one. The result is a comprehensive and ambitious programming tool. But if you disassemble it according to individual functions, then it is inferior to highly specialized languages.
Independent and secure Java
This English computer language was developed by Sun Microsystems. Due to the fact that the written program is translated into a special byte code, it is able to work regardless of the type of operating system or computer architecture.
This has made Java the most popular language. It can be found in absolutely all household appliances, ATMs, city machines and almost everything related to computer technology. It is in Java that most of the popular applications for smartphones and phones are written.
Also, this programming language has a fairly high level of security. The implementation of the program of actions within its authority is controlled by a virtual machine that transfers commands to devices. Therefore, when you try to perform any other task, the program immediately stops.
If we talk about the simplicity of the language, it is worth noting studies that have shown that similar operations are written 1.2-2 times longer than in C ++. Also, several times more resources are required to execute commands. But the manufacturer’s team is constantly releasing a lot of updates that minimize all the shortcomings of this programming language.
Conquered Internet PHP
Do you want to create your own website or do web programming? The excellent PHP language that can create dynamic pages will help you with this. It is perhaps the most popular when creating websites and writing web applications.
Due to the fact that this programming language was created by open-source developers, it was able to be perfected, and it gained wildly popular. PHP easily interacts with a wide variety of databases - from MySQL to Access.
The most popular Internet sites, such as Facebook or Wikipedia, are written in that language.
Writing on it is quite simple. There is even statistics that more than 60% of the programmers in the world who work on PHP code have a fairly limited knowledge (at a basic level) of English. Computer literacy in this case is limited only to knowledge of the necessary functions and procedures.
One cannot ignore criticism of the language. Despite the fact that PHP took the 6th place in the ratings of the most popular languages of 2015, dissatisfaction is often expressed in its address.
First of all, this language was created not by one group of programmers, but by several. Because of this, the syntax of the language is not unified and does not have a single architecture. There are different procedures that need to be described in a special way, and not according to a standardized template.
Also, one of the main problems can be called the lack of compatibility between different versions of languages. Earlier versions absolutely refuse to work with updates, which often creates problems in transferring code from one version to another.
The relevance of knowledge and understanding of programming languages
The theme of the ability to "talk" with the computer in the last decade is gaining more and more momentum.
And this is not surprising, because information technologies are relentlessly being introduced into our lives and even a toothbrush is not without brains. The code must be programmed and serviced by a specialist. Therefore, the demand for literate programmers is always there.
Another reason why many people study computer languages is the recession of the country's economy. A person who can write professionally in Java can remotely work for a foreign application development company and earn in a month such money that he will have to save in his own country for decades.
But if you think about it, it’s quite difficult to start successfully doing programming and writing computer programs. English is the main obstacle for beginners. Indeed, most programs and languages are written precisely taking into account the vocabulary of this international language.
Learn languages online
So you have to learn a foreign language at least at a basic level, until the Russian computer language was invented.
But do not worry, the world does not stand still. Today you can study without leaving your home. The main thing is to have a computer and the Internet. There are many sites that conduct computer language training. The most popular ones are Codecademy, Code School and Udacity.